Maddie landed in the Temple of All Gods, in front of her mother’s altar. Beside her, the key hit the marble floor with a ringing sound. She collapsed on her knees, breathing hard from the exertion and the anxiety. This was the first place she thought of; she was meant to meet Tereus back at the house. She looked down at the floor and saw blood dripping from her tunic. The black fabric didn’t show the blood, but she could see that it was wet. Her mother, still in the form of a child, appeared before her.
“Child, what has happened to you?”
Maddie couldn’t speak. The breath had all left her body and it seemed that she couldn’t draw any new air in.
“I knew that something would happen! I warned you! I will destroy that upstart child of Ares for this!”
“Unfortunately, that is something I cannot allow,” a booming voice said. It reverberated throughout the whole temple. Brigantia jumped to her feet and stood in front of her daughter.
A man walked through the middle of the temple. He was armored much as the statue of Mars, but his spear was not symbolic -- it was meant to kill. Brigantia ran at him. Black wings sprouted from her back and a giant sword appeared in her hands. It looked like a six-foot-long blade of pure onyx. In Brigantia’s childish hands it looked almost ridiculous. She remedied that by transforming, growing into an adult. Her wings lifted her off the ground as she attacked Ares. Her sword came down and he parried with his spear, sending her twirling away. The blade of her sword hit the statue of King Gradlon, bisecting it. Ares stepped to the side as tons of bronze crashes to the floor, cracking it.
“You will never best me in a fight, sister. Perhaps you should stick to stealing souls from the bodies of the helpless.”
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Brigantia responded by swinging her sword again. Ares moved his spear in a complicated maneuver that Maddie could not follow. The sword flew from Brigantia’s hands and landed in the marble floor next to Maddie. Ares followed up with a stab of his spear that pierced the winged woman's chest. She gasped.
“Take the sword. Protect yourself!” Then she vanished.
Ares waved his hand and the walls of the temple cracked. Maddie tried to step through shadows, only to find Tereus standing right behind her. He grabbed her neck roughly and forced her to the ground. He picked up the key.
“You managed to do it. I'm impressed and surprised. I thought you would need much more help but you managed to get the key and wound Gradlon in the process.”
He turned to the sword and pulled on the handle. It didn't budge.
“Ah, well, I suppose you can't get a souvenir from the gods so easily.”
He bowed to Ares. “Thank you, father. I will carry out the plan as you instructed.”
Ares nodded, "I'll leave it to you." Then he vanished.
Maddie struggled under Tereus's grip. She stretched out her hand but the sword's handle was just out of reach. Tereus raised her from the ground an roughly pushed her, letting go of her neck. She stumbled and fell, but managed to angle herself so she landed closer to the sword.
Tereus held the key up to the light and smiled. As soon as he took his eyes off Maddie she grabbed the sword and lunged toward the nearest shadow, which happened to be the top half of the bronze statue. Tereus noticed the movement but could not stop her in time. Maddie sunk into the shadow, dragging the oddly weightless sword behind her. She chose a thick concentration of shadows at the Academy and just let go.